September is National Food Safety Month
Sponsored by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, September, 2019 is National Food Safety Month. This year’s theme is “Controlling Risk: The Elements of a Food Safety Management System.” The 2019 goal is to support the important role employees play in making sure the food safety management system works properly to keep food safe.
Food poisoning lawyer
If you or a loved one was seriously injured or hospitalized because of contaminated or improperly prepared food, seek the help of an experienced food poisoning lawyer. The food poisoning attorney can discuss your legal rights and may be able to help you recover damages including medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.
Food safety tips to prevent food poisoning
These food safety tips from the CDC.org are aimed at helping people prevent food borne illnesses from affecting themselves and their families:
Wash:
- Wash your hands, utensils and work surfaces with soap and hot water before you start preparing food.
- Wash them again after working with meat, fish or poultry and before moving on to preparing other items like vegetables.
- Rinse fruits and vegetable with cold water before cutting into them or eating.
- Wash the skin of melons and avocados with soap and cool water before slicing into them.
- DO NOT rinse chicken off before preparing as it can spread bacteria in your sink and around your kitchen.
Separate:
- Use separate cutting boards or surfaces for raw meat, fish and poultry.
- Place raw meat, fish and poultry in plastic bags and separated from other items in your grocery cart and refrigerator to keep their juices away from other foods.
Cook to a safe temperature:
- Cook meat, fish, and poultry to a high enough temperature to kill germs that can make people sick. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that they have reached the appropriate internal temperature.
- Here is a foodsafety.gov chart showing safe minimum food temperatures: https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-cooking-temperature
Refrigerate promptly:
- Refrigerators should be kept below 40°F and perishable food should be placed in the refrigerator within two hours (one hour if it’s hotter than 90°F outside.) Bacteria can grow quickly when food is left out in temperatures between 40°F and 140°F.
- Throw out meat, fish and poultry after it has been in your fridge longer than three to five days / when it smells, looks or feels “off”.
- When thawing foods, do it safely in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. Thawing on the counter is a recipe for bacterial growth.
Food recall statistics
According to 2016 food recall data gathered by Food Safety Magazine for Canada and the United States, there were 764 food recalls, a 22 percent increase over 2015. The main reasons for food recalls were undeclared allergens, Listeria contamination and foreign-matter contamination. Undeclared allergen recalls centered mostly around milk, eggs, peanuts and wheat with a total of 305 product recalls. Listeria contamination recalls were mostly related to frozen fruit and vegetable products and included about 358 consumer products. Foreign matter contamination recalls mostly involved products that had pieces of glass, metal, plastic, wood and rubber and accounted for about 44 product recalls.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an injury as a result of an accident or error caused by the negligence of another, you have enough on your plate. Let an experienced personal injury attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
